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The only female Afghan barrister in England and Wales says she was sacked by a client in favour of a white man.

Rehana Popal, an immigration and civil law specialist barrister at 10 KBW chambers in London, tweeted: ‘Just had a solicitor call to tell me… the client has said he doesn’t want an Asian female but a white male barrister.’

Ms Popal said this was not the first time clients told her they wanted someone white, ‘because the judge will believe them.’

Rehana Popal is the only female Afghan barrister in England and Wales (Picture: BBC)

She believes the incident suggests there is a ‘serious concern’ with how the justice system was being perceived.

Ms Popal, was called to the Bar five years ago, after graduating with a degree in International Politics.

The barrister came to the UK as a child refugee and told the Victoria Derbyshire programme she had suffered discrimination several times before and had become ‘numb’ to it.

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She said it was ‘sadly the reality’ of what ethnic minorities faced at the Bar.

[1/2] Just had a solicitor call to tell me that a case that I had previously been instructed on, which was adjourned administratively due to lack of judges was now re-listed for December. However, the client has said he doesn’t want an Asian female but a white male barrister.

Ms Popal told the programme: ‘They will have had to hold some prejudicial views, for them to have come to say that, but equally there is a serious problem here in relation to perception, because clients have thought their cases will be more likely to be believed by a judge if it is presented by a white male barrister.

‘That is a serious concern, because if they’re having that perception, then there’s something wrong with how the justice system is being perceived by outsiders and that needs to be remedied urgently.’

She added: ‘When it happened it’s almost ‘eye-roll, here it happens again’. The first time it happened it was heartbreaking…but I’ve just got to shrug it off, move on and let my work speak for itself.’

Since the tweet Ms Popal said she has received an overwhelming response, with both male and female lawyers sharing their experiences with her.

She added: ‘There needs to be an honest dialogue, more solicitors need to come out and say this is an issue they have faced and how they have dealt with it.’

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The Bar Council, which represents the 15,000 practising barristers in England and Wales, has told solicitors they needed to challenge clients who discriminate against barristers because of their gender, race or any other protected characteristic.

Andrew Walker QC said: ‘Wherever discrimination does arise, it must be challenged by all branches of the legal profession. The close working relationship between barristers, their clerks and solicitors means that no-one should turn a blind eye.’

Law society President, Christina Blacklaws said: ‘We cannot comment on an individual case, what we can be clear about is that solicitors must not discriminate unlawfully against anyone on the grounds of any protected characteristic.

Andrew Walker QC, Chair of the Bar, said that solicitors must not discriminate unlawfully against anyone on the grounds of any protected characteristic

‘A solicitor should refuse their client’s instruction if it involves the solicitor in a breach of the law or the code of conduct. Where a solicitor realises they have breached the code they may have a duty to report themselves to the regulator.’

The Ministry of Justice said in a statement: ‘The Lord Chancellor is committed to increasing the diversity of our world-renowned judiciary, and we are pleased that recent statistics show increased black and ethnic minority and gender representation.

‘But we know more must be done, and we recently launched a programme to help more candidates from under-represented groups apply to be judges.’

Ms Popal added: ‘There needs to be a better campaign in recruiting them from BME backgrounds and more women, so eventually, in 10-15 years, when it comes to recruiting from the profession for the judiciary, they have a wider pool to choose from.’